Exploring Life

Things work out when things have been worked out within you. What once seemed like a major problem, becomes a stepping stone to realizing more and becoming unconscious less. How you handle life outside of you relates to what is happening within you. Once you develop that inner awareness that you have the ability to have peace within yourself regardless of the situation outside of yourself, you build a foundation of peace for your life that does not go unnoticed, but only continues to advance in all areas of your life. Once peace becomes a foundation of your routine, you then learn the key to peace is by life found within. So put simply, when you're aware, you realize that every situation you go through can be either experienced within as pleasant or as a disastrous one, and that you've always had the power to choose. Then, when you realize the only thing stopping you from experiencing peace and bliss is yourself, nothing in this whole entire world is too troubling to stop you

If you truly knew who you are, then no matter what someone did to you, you wouldn't take offense because you know it's deeper than that. It isn't truly who they are. Rather, it's a reaction of the hurt, the pain, the trials they've experienced, and you just so happen to be in the way when it manifested.

7/28/19 The old self is attracted to negative thoughts and the new self, the real you, is attracted to positive thoughts. The old self embodies all the negative so it wants what it is, and the new self embodies all things positive, so it seeks to be reinforced with what it already is. That's why I believe it is so important to speak truth into people, to reinforce who they truly are because it awakens the real self and keeps them consciously focused on who they really are. There was an experiment done where they insulted a plant and then for another plant, they only spoke nice words, and the results were shocking. The words carried weight on the actual growth or decay of those plants. So if plants don't speak English, then what could possibly be the reason behind one plant living its best life due to the positive words spoken to it and the other plant withering and dying due to negative words being spoken to it in the same controlled situation? Everything, and I mean everyth

7/25/19 The ego, also called the false self, is not really you. It's the external image that you uphold through any negative emotions that creates a distinction from you to others. So when you have bad emotions, when you feel negative, when you feel separate, that's not truly you, that's your ego that is trying hard to stay alive. It's the false self, the false you, the old you. It has its roots in the old creation, and it will die with the old creation.  The real self, the new self, who you truly are ascends any negative mental blocking. You are beyond negative emotions. You are beyond negative thoughts. You are beyond all that which is from this earth. You are connected to God in a oneness that transcends this physical world. Even though you may not feel the real you all the time, you truly are. It isn't something you can fully understand by thinking, you must experience it. God made it clear that He is in all. He didn't just say He's in believers, but

7/23/19 I learn from kids, I learn from animals, I learn from the Earth, I learn from all people of all races, religions, culture, I learn from everybody. There's not one person I can't learn from. I think the danger comes from the mindset that we can't learn from someone because they don't share our same exact beliefs, or our same viewpoints, or the same stance on issues that we have. I believe we learn most when our own beliefs are challenged; when we learn about new beliefs that bring forth a new way of perceiving or which validates the perception we currently have, or when it deepens the meaning of perception that we already have. If you only think a certain way, and you never challenge yourself to think a different way, then how much can you actually learn from what you already know? But if you're constantly learning inside and outside of your community, from all people, all situations, all things, what is there that you can't learn? For you are open to th

The secret freedoms are loving without attachment, believing before receiving, trusting the process of life without being disappointed by life, and knowing everything will be fine when we decide starting now that everything is fine.

July 22nd 2019 During the first few years of college, I remember seeking for the church that God wanted me to be a part of. I thought to myself, there had to be one church that at least was doing it how God wanted them to do it, and it was just a matter of me needing to pray more and wait for God to reveal it. As time went on, I would get frustrated because it seemed like every church was doing their own thing, but no one knew for sure if it was right. They all had the same Bible, but they were interpreting it all differently. It didn't make sense to me why there was so much diversity in doctrine, in ways of doing things, and more. If anything, it confused me more than it made sense. I found myself attending a church that promised that they recovered the right way to do things and the other churches didn't have all the precious truths they had. This thinking led to a dependence on their leaders who fed this doctrine, and then I slowly became a full, committed member of their

With everything you say or do, try being intentional with everything. Set goals in how you wish to treat, perceive, and interact with others. Such as treating people with respect, not judging anyone regardless of if you agree or disagree, and making people feel heard and loved and cared for. Maybe set a goal every day to try to say or do 15 nice things for other people every day. Setting a number helps me focus on the goal to be generous with any free time I can give away. Then whenever I'm aware of that goal, throughout the day I think of ways I can do something nice.  Whether that's telling someone they're beautiful, or helping someone with a flat tire, or paying for someone's food. Some days you might not get many opportunities because some days are busy, but that's okay. Do as much as you feel comfortable and where you can still take very well care of yourself.

It's crazy how some people can make you feel like stale pudding that's been in the back of the fridge for a couple of weeks, but then there exists a soul out there who can have such an impact on your life that it's as if they flipped your whole world upside down and dipped it in deliciously rich dark chocolate. You go your whole life meeting new people, hanging with older friends, hanging out with family, going through the motions, and then one day, an interaction with this special person hits your existence like a pile of bricks. You realize something is different about this person, more than anyone you've ever experienced before in your whole life. You can't put your finger on it, nonetheless something about this person is different. For some odd reason, even though they know nothing about you, they completely understand you in every way, and they love every part of you in the deepest way possible with no explanation, no reason, just because. Their presence, thei

7/17/19 These past few weeks have been the best weeks of my life. Truly though. Not because of what has happened outside of me, but what has been happening inside of me. For so much of my life, anxiety was an easy trap to fall into. Because of fear, I would take supplements because I was worried about not getting the proper nutrients. I had some pretty bad panic attacks after going to the doctor and a lot of my previous semester, I spent many days at the doctor's not because something was wrong, but because my anxiety about maybe something being wrong was so bad. There was a point where they had to give me a steroid shot to open my throat because my anxiety was so intense it felt like my throat was closing, and that gave me more anxiety. There was even a point where a doctor gave me anti-anxiety meds, and that night I took them was the first night I've ever had suicidal thoughts. I was a mess because of my anxiety, and it crippled everything in my life. I even suffered post s

PSA: I want to reiterate these lessons are lessons I've learned in the past, and now I bring to light for those in the present. If it doesn't help you, that's fine, but if it helps, I'm glad. For those of us who follow a certain type of faith, there are a set of challenges that arise from entering a particular religious community, of which we all must be aware of so that we do not adopt this type of thinking. W ith anything, there will always be challenges, but protecting ourselves from negative thinking can help others and ourselves. One is this mentality everything we need is in this religious community and if we're not in it, we are not getting all that we need and will suffer in our religious walk. This is a very dangerous mindset to have because it takes all that we need in God and instead prescribes it to a community. Then subliminally, your worth, your faith, your beliefs, are all tied to this particular religious community and if you are not part of it, yo

I think it's so easy for many of us to get caught in the what ifs . What if I don't find a job? What if I don't get accepted into that college? What if I don't find somebody to marry? All these what ifs are paralyzing because it takes you out of the present and leads you on an unstable thinking of the future where there are no guarantees, no for sures, nothing set and stone, just the unknown. However, when you choose to dwell in the present, acknowledge the present, remain in the present, and to not overthink about all the what ifs , you free yourself from what could be and instead begin to enjoy what is. M aybe one day in the present, in the now, someone surprises you with a gift you've always wanted, or a heart melting kiss , or a present that leaves you in shock, or a ticket to somewhere far away. Experience that, live in that, be in that. Maybe none of those things happen . That's okay, the present can still be enjoyed, it's actually the most enjoyabl

Realizing that no one and nothing can affect your happiness because you find it within yourself, is life changing. If you depend on things outside of you to bring you happiness, you're limited; but if you realize you already have all the happiness you need within you, then you're limitless. There is no limit to what you can find in God, Who can be found in you. Ask, seek, knock, and you will find. "One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."          - Ephesians 4:6 "...Christ is all, and is in all."          - Colossians 3:11 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."          - 2 Corinthians 3:17

One thing I've learned very intensely is the hardest trials tend to create the biggest lessons and the largest growth in our lives. If you were to tell me what I was going to go through, I wouldn't believe you. I couldn't believe you. I couldn't fathom the pain I would have to endure, and I wouldn't think I'd make it. But that's the beauty of God. At the end of your rope, God's hand is outstretched to you. He doesn't leave you broken and abandoned. He walks beside you. He takes care of you. He heals you. What you couldn't survive, God helped you survive. He holds you in ways you won't even realize until you return to Him. Through doctors, through family members, through friends, through angels. He's in the midst of all your healing and makes sure you're taken care of. He completely understands the pain you feel and will never abandon you. He'll get you through it and one day your trial might be part of someone else's life-li

There's a quote out there saying the two greatest things in life is to love and to be loved, and I couldn't agree more. I believe it's life changing to be loved deeply by others and to cultivate a love so strong for others that it has no borders, no conditions, no expectations. Where you can look at a person and just want to fill them with all the love you've been given, regardless of their race, gender, political views, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Love that simply loves, but nonetheless deeply. When we choose to love others first over everything, it's not only healing for ourselves, but it's incredibly healing for others. To wake up and know you're loved beyond what you can imagine, is goals to the max. As a Christian, the whole gospel is because He loved us, and that should be our foundation based on all that we do. In the Bible, it says: " Above all, love each other deeply..." - 1 Peter 4:8 " If I have the gift of p

No one is going to change you except you. You have to choose to change, or else it won't ever happen. Even God won't force you to change, because at the end of the day it's your decision. You're a human, you have free will, and you have the decision to either become a good person or a bad person every day. Some decisions are small in scale, other decisions are small scaled decisions that stack up to become a very big decision. Maybe something happens outside of your control, and it negatively affects you and causes you to have a reaction. Your reaction might be from you at that moment, but it doesn't define who you are for life.You have the choice to get angry or to remain calm. You can figure out healthy ways to respond and find a solution. You have options, and no one is going to choose those options for you,  except you. There's material out there to help you make better decisions, but even searching for that requires you to act. If you want to change, bu

Look, sometimes you can't give your time to people the way you intended to. It doesn't mean it's because of something they did. It could simply mean sometimes you don't have the time. Hopefully the people in your life realize there are hard seasons for hanging out.  There are times when I haven't spoken to the people I love for many months. It wasn't that we didn't love and care about each other, but rather because we both got super busy and naturally tried staying on top of what was in front of us. But then once things slowed down, then we naturally could make more time for those we love and care about. So if someone is busy, don't take offense. If they don't talk for months, don't take offense. People expect a lot from people, especially extroverts, and realistically we cannot dish out all our time to everyone we meet perfectly. Have mercy on others and have mercy on yourself. The people who don't forgive you for you trying your hardest t

Yeah I can do a lot of things, I can go a lot of places, I can dress a lot of different ways, but I have a default and I feel like most people do. It's okay to embrace what you like, even if it doesn't fit the norm. I gravitate towards a certain style as my default, but I can also branch out. Where I go, what I do, what I wear doesn't define who I am. It might dress up my soul and give me a certain flavor, but that flavor changes throughout life. I hope you never feel boxed into a certain mindset. In some years, you might struggle with procrastination, but that should never define you. It's simply reflective of where you put your time and energy. Sometimes you dress up, sometimes you don't, but again that doesn't define you, it's a reflection of your time and energy. Maybe one season you experiment with being very blunt honest, but then you meet a few people who are like that, and you don't like how it made you feel, so you tone it down a little. Maybe

The truth is that family, friends and your significant other will eventually let you down. Sometimes painfully, other times in small matters, but nonetheless they'll let you down. The key is not only realizing this, but releasing these people from expectations of perfection. Oftentimes, it's so easy to expect the best from people, but when they don't deliver every time based on those expectations we set, it's easy for us to feel disappointed. Accepting that people are human and will make mistakes gives us space to make mistakes and learn from them, rather than make mistakes and condemn ourselves day after day. If we choose to only have expectations of perfection for God, we'll never be disappointed because God never fails. People fail, situations fail, leaders fail, countries fail, but God never fails.  When we release people from our expectations of perfection, there's no way for us to be hurt or offended. It's only when we try to find what we can only get

If you don't have deep relationships, deep moments, deep experiences, then I ask, are you even truly living? Or are you just passively going along with life? You don't have to settle for lukewarm or mundane. You can choose to fill your life with whatever you want to fill your life with, and you must realize no one else can make that decision for you, but you. Your life is what you make it. You're in charge of who you surround yourself with, the memories you make, and who you become, so do yourself a favor and start focusing and putting your energy towards all that deepens and enhances your life and letting go of anything that is holding you back. When you start to do this, you might be surprised when you start attracting what's best for you and becoming the best version of yourself that God made you to be. Choose to make the most out of your life starting today and maybe one day when you have gray hair, and you're knitting a sweater in a rocking chair or changing

Don't be upset when plans fail, when doors close, when people leave, when that company says no to you. God's going to help you pass over the mediocre for the amazing. We see one point of view, but God's sees all points of view. He knows what works best for you and when you entrust Him with taking care of you, He's going to help you not latch on to anything that isn't the best for you. God wants your success. He wants you to be joyful. He wants you to reach your fullest potential. Yeah, life's going to be tough, but it's so much better with God by our side.

There's a difference between falling in love with someone, and falling in love with the idea of being in love. One is genuine, the other one is rooted in desire. One is intimate, romantic, passionate, the other is yearning, wanting, longing, and unstable. They're actually more intertwined than one might think. Before we even solidify a relationship, we date. We date because we want to be in love, but sometimes we go into a relationship thinking the falling in love part will develop over time. However, my perception on this has completely changed. If this person doesn't give you butterflies. If this person doesn't shake up your existence, or doesn't make you want to spend every waking moment with them, or doesn't make you feel like you're on top of the world, don't make them your significant other. You need a bonfire to keep the relationship going and healthy, not a match. You need something that will continue to burn rather than can be put out in seco

If you're a very generous person, be aware that there will be people out there who will try to take advantage of your generosity. People will take advantage of the fact that you enjoy doing nice things for others and use that as an excuse to keep taking from you. Sometimes it's through perpetually taking from you and never giving in return, and other times it's less subtle, and they'll even go as far as to insist on something and not even ask you if it's okay. They'll put you in an uncomfortable position so even if you say no, you're the one in the wrong. They'll keep taking and taking, even up until the point that you're so drained you forget to take care of yourself and spend time with your family and the friends who do make sure to give back. You need to be aware that if someone isn't pulling their weight and they're taking more than they're giving, then you absolutely need to put boundaries up and protect yourself. You need to under

I was contemplating how small I am compared to the universe, and then I considered how much smaller my problems are compared to the universe, to the mountains, and even to me. I considered what even is a problem? And I realized that problems are problems because they affect us in some way that we wish we weren't affected by. However, we have the potential to determine if something is actually a problem or if it can be seen in a new light.  We can focus on how something is negatively affecting us, or we can focus from another point of view and see the positive lessons we can learn it. Truly, a positive perception on this could definitely help retrain ourselves to think much more positively and contribute to a better overall way of thinking when they come our way. So I'm going to propose looking at "problems" in a new light. So I said a problem normally is considered a problem because it affects us in some way, shape or form; but if we choose to change our perception

Our perception governs so much. It governs how we see others. How we judge others. How we live. What we see as important and unimportant. How we treat others. If we treated everybody in a way that shows they are important, as in they're made in the image of God, as in they are our brothers and sisters, how differently would they feel in our presence? How differently would we see them? It would be night and day if we all actually treated others like Jesus treated others. When I witness judgmental people and this "us vs them" mentality, I don't see the likeness of Jesus, I see the likeness of Saul before he was Paul. Thinking they are wrong, he is right, and they deserve to die. It's easy to hate, to misunderstand, to throw a stone, but in my opinion it's easier to love, to hear someone's story, to change your perception if you really want to.  Anything learned can be unlearned and hate can be replaced with love, but you have to be willing to change

I realized that one of the reasons why people love stories is not merely because they can be entertaining, but because they make people feel some type of way. In a deeper sense, they induce a state of consciousness to help people relax, laugh and connect with others over a story seeped in imagery, emotions, vivid moments that the audience can enter into and visualize. One might leave it at that, but to go even deeper, they're helping people go from a state of beta frequency waves to a state of alpha frequency waves through the art of storytelling.  To be able to contribute and help other people reach that state of mind is truly an amazing feeling.

I consider success doing what you love every single day. I look at goals as ways to constantly challenge yourself daily as you live in the process of doing what you love.